Beyond the Prophecy

Little by little, my ears picked up the sound of birds singing and chirping to one another. As I opened my eyes, the sight of tall spruce trees came into focus. They surrounded me and blocked some of the evening sunlight, though some also peaked between its foliage. This forest wasn't the one outside of Frost Manor however, it was one I knew very well: Slievethoul. I grew up in this town, beside this forest, until I was thirteen. A few hours ago, I watched the sunrise with Chris, but now the sun was on its way to set. Not only that, but I was in Ireland. The time difference could account for the evening (and not morning) sun and all, but how did I end up in Ireland?

My head turned in the direction of rustling leaves. Sitting on the same boulder as me was a woman with long, red hair and fair skin partly covered in freckles. The evening sun made her thick, red locks glow beautiful shades of gold and amber, while her eye color was a lighter shade of its usual yellowish green. They popped against the seafoam maxi dress she wore. The woman turned to me with a gentle smile. Like Slievethoul, she was all too familiar with me: my ma. That's when I knew; I might be in Ireland, but it was in a dream.

"Why are ya in my dreams again ma? Why can't ya be beside me for real?"

"There isn't a day that goes by that I'd want that to happen. We can't be together, mo chroi. You're safer as long as we're not."

"Why? I mean, I don't understand."

"You will soon enough. I just wanted to check up on you. You seemed distressed recently and I was concerned."

"Yeah, it's because of this," I stated while stretching my arm out. "Do ya remember how I got this scar?"

"Of course," she told me before she held my arm. "Wish I could have stopped this from happening all together."

"Ya did the best ya could, ma. I can't help what I dream about. Seein' dolls still freak me out, but at least I'm not surrounded by them."

"That's true, and it helps that you didn't have to sleep alone tonight," she said with a smile.

Though I couldn't see my face, I knew it was scarlet because of the heat that rose to it. I looked away from her as fast as I could but caught a glimpse of her grin.

"Oh, mo chroi!" she exclaimed with laughter, "I've been waiting so long for you to react to him in that manner. Just as you cannot help what you dream about, you cannot help who you fall for either."

"Ya knew it would happen, yeah? Ya told me in the last dream that things would happen to bring Chris and me closer to each other."

"Yes, and they did. When was the last time the two of you had an argument? Not a disagreement, but an argument that made you fume?"

"I—well…" I gave it some thought, but couldn't think of an answer. "I don't know, actually. But if ya knew that I'd go through hell with the incubus, why didn't ya warn me?"

"I absolutely wanted to, but it had to happen, and I knew you'd become the victor against him. Aciago attacked you because of Chris. For him to see how negatively something he was responsible for affected you helps him feel sympathy towards you, which also helps him to feel something beyond the hatred he had in the beginning for you."

"And the coven of vampires? Chris thought they came after me because of him, but one of them mentioned there was some kind of reward for attacking me."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Natasha…There's a bounty on you. An extremely malicious man views you as a threat. He is the reason why it's safer for me to be away from both you and Innogen."

"Who is he? Why is he after me?"

"He goes by several names, one of which is Arawn. He believes you'll be his undoing. I wish I could tell you more, but it's too dangerous to talk about it further. However, there is something else you should know; something about who you really are. It's the reason why you have power over natural elements."

"Elements, like fire and electricity?"

"It's not electricity, it's called aether. You also have power over wind, water, and earth."

"Not just fire and elec—aether?" My eyebrows creased. "What's happenin' to me?"

Ma smiled. "'Your inner bandrui is finally awakening.'"

"Hatsumi said to me too, after that big fight with the vampires."

"I know. She was right." Ma stood up and turned to face me. "For many generations, Druidry has been a part of our family. Bandrui is a term used for a female druid. To explain it simply, druids are nature-based witches. That is who you really are, and that is where your powers come from."

I sat there, a million thoughts racing through my head, never settling on one. Me, a witch? No, a bandrui. If it's been in the family for a long time, did that mean that Innogen was one too? And if she was, would she be aware of it?

"What about Innogen? And da?" I asked.

"Your father wasn't a druid. It only runs through my side of the family. But Innogen, she's a bandrui too. As am I."

"So if it's on yer side of the family, does that mean aunt Siobhan, uncle Bradan, and my cousins, are all druids?"

"Everyone except your aintín Siobhan and her children Hannah and Aiden are druids. They chose not to practice the craft."

"But aunt Siobhan has three kids. Is Saoirse a bandrui?" Ma nodded. "Are ya kiddin' me? I lived with all of them for six years, and no one, not even Saoirse, ever mentioned any of this!"

"Druidry laws prevent them from talking about it with anyone that isn't a practitioner, even with those that used to practice or are unaware of whom they really are. Your situation is unique though. Those born a druid are aware of it from the beginning, as you were, but those memories are locked away in your mind. The more you remember, the more your inner bandrui will come out."

"How am I supposed to remember what I've apparently forgotten?"

"With time, the memories will return. Look through old photos, speak to the family, and practice using your powers. It should all help. Even speaking to Chris and his family may help."

"Chris…He knew the reason why I didn't remember his family, but promised someone he wouldn't tell me. He must've known about all this too, about druids and bandrui, yeah?" Ma gave me another nod and I quickly stood up. "How could he keep all this from me, even if he promised not to say anything? I have a right to know!"

"Natasha," she began in a tranquil tone, her hands resting on my shoulders, "stay calm. The answer to these questions will come in about…two weeks."

"Two weeks! I can't wait that long, ma!"

The ends of her lips curled. "I know, mo chroi, but it won't happen any sooner. The answers will come on the night of the coronation festivity, and something else you've been waiting for happens that night too." Her hand moved to my cheek as her smile grew. "Chris will finally make his move on you."

My eyes instantly opened wider as my heart raced. I nearly smiled, but I stopped it from forming. "He does? It's really goin' to happen?" She gave me a reassuring smile. "But wait, that's in a few weeks too. I still can't wait that long!"

Ma laughed while I shot back down onto the boulder. She sat beside me and said, "Trust me, Natasha, it will be well worth the wait."

"And how do ya know all this?"

"You have your elemental powers, and I have my powers of foresight. Every bandrui's power is different, mo chroi."

"So, if ya can see the future, can ya tell me what tomorrow's winnin' lotto numbers are?"

She smiled. Then suddenly, the golden sky turned maroon, while a violent wind shook everything around us. Ma jumped up in haste, her eyes anxiously scanned the area. She said something to me, but the wind muffled her voice.

"This happened last time!" I shouted.

"It's Arawn! I must go!" She gave me a hug and said, "Blessed be, mo chroi."

I woke up from the dream to the sound of Flogging Molly's Drunken Lullabies blaring out of my cell phone. Groaning, I reached for the nightstand closest to me and yanked my phone off its charger. Ava's photo and number flashed on the screen before I answered it.

"What do ya want?"

"Well someone sounds cheerful today," she joked. "Were you still sleeping?"

"Yeah. Stayed up late. Why are ya callin' me at," I checked the clock on the nightstand, "Jaysus, it's two in the afternoon?"

"Yep. But since you 've been in bed all day, I guess that means you didn't see Caleb's messages."

"Who?"

"Caleb. Caleb Péarce, our new manager? He emailed us all a schedule of events for the week. Meetings, the gig, things like that. Can you believe it, Tasha? We actually have a schedule. It's all finally happening for us."

I smiled. "Yeah, finally."

"Crap, I have to go. My cousin Bianca is visiting this weekend and Jason's creeping her out."

I chuckled. "But he's such a Casanova," I said sarcastically. "I'm surprised he's still single."

"Right? He's hunting for a date to that party we have a gig at, but he doesn't know that Bianca's got a girlfriend."

"A girl friend, or girlfriend?"

"The second one."

"Oh."

She chuckled. "Okay, I'll let you get back to sleeping. Text me when you check his messages."

"Will do."

It wasn't until we hung up that I remembered Chris slept over last night. I quickly turned to face him, but he wasn't there. All I found was the shirt he wore last night and a handwritten note asking me to meet him in the ballroom so we can finish my da's song. Once I groomed and ate my breakfast, or lunch at this point, and made sure Leda had plenty of food to eat, I headed to the ballroom with my guitar and music sheets in tow.

"Why are you wearing my shirt?" was the first thing he asked when I walked in.

"I like yer shirt," I told Chris with a sly smile. "It's soft and cozy. And it smells really good. Plus, it looks good on me, so I'm keepin' it."

"You're confiscating my shirt? It's just a plain blue tee. There's nothing special about it."

"Exactly, so it won't be missed." I moved closer to him, my voice growing lower and more suggestive. "How do ya think it looks on me?"

He looked me up and down before glancing back at my eyes with a smirk. "Truthfully, you look sexy in my shirt."

I bit my lower lip before I stated, "I'd look even sexier in your pants." His eyebrows arched so rapidly that I cracked up. "Sorry, I couldn't resist runnin' with the joke."

"A joke, huh? It's a shame; I was going to agree with you."

When he walked away, I followed behind him. "Nah, wait wait wait, I take it back! It wasn't a joke!"

He stopped and turned to face me. I was walking towards him so fast that I nearly crashed into him. "Which is it? A joke, or the truth?"

Smirking, I stated, "Oh, it's the absolute truth." Though my eyes stayed glued to his, my hands moved to his hips. "But whether or not I get into yer pants…" I nearly whispered as my fingers traced the top hem of his jeans, "…is entirely up to you."

He swallowed hard, but then moved my hands from his jeans. Then he took the guitar from me and said, "Let's just work on the song," before he headed towards the piano.

I caught a glimpse of his family crest marked behind his neck, which made me think of the dream I had last night. "Chris, wait," I said and made my way towards him. "Be honest with me. Did you know who, or what, I really am this whole time? Did you know I was a bandrui?"

His eyebrows creased. "How…Who told you about that?"

I told him about the dream I had last night, though I left out what my ma said about him making a move on me. "Tell me the truth, Chris. Ya knew I was a bandrui, yeah?"

Sighing, he admitted, "Yes I knew, but as I mentioned before, I can't tell you about any of it because I was sworn to secrecy. You have to remember it all on your own."

I shook my head. " Okay, fine then," I said before turning towards the exit.

"Where are you going?"

"I just found out last night, through a dream, that I was born a bandrui, but I don't know shit about it. So if ya won't tell me about, then I'm goin' to go search for answers."

"There isn't any time for that. These next two weeks will be busy for the both of us. We have to finish the song, you have to practice your performance with Siren for the gala, and I have and endless amount of meetings I must attend until that very night."

With a heavy sigh, I said, "You're right, dammit."

"Welcome to my world. I often have to put any personal issues aside, supernatural ones or otherwise, in order to take care of any business responsibilities."

"How the hell do ya do it?"

"With great difficulty, but you do what you have to do in order to make things work out."

We walked over to the piano and shared the bench in front of it. Chris placed my guitar against the piano, on the side I sat, and I handed him the music sheets.

"When we finish workin' on this song today, I'm goin' to do some research on Druidry."

"You won't find much written on it. Druidry have laws prohibiting anyone from recording anything about it. But if you do manage to find information, make sure to avoid any you might get from the game Dungeons and Dragons."

I grinned, "Ah, that's right, D&D does have druids in it."

"'D&D'? How do you know about that game?"

"Uh…" I looked away. "Well, I may have played the game once or twice in high school." The truth was, not only did I play the game, I helped start a gaming club in high school. My character in the game was an elf named Cinder. Of course, I'd never admit to any of this to him. "Anyway, let's get this song finished." I lifted the keyboard cover and played a few keys.

"Do you even know how to play it?"

"Oh sure I do! Watch." I took me a while to play the notes from the nursery rhyme called Frere Jacques. As I played them, Chris laughed. "Oh wait, here comes the best part." When I played the notes for the third line and sang along with a grin, he laughed even harder. "Ta-da!" I said when I finished.

"Wow. Beethoven has nothing on you," he said with sarcasm.

"Oh yeah? If ya think ya can do better, then here," I told him before handing him my guitar. "Go nuts."

He played some notes on my guitar that made me cringe. It was just…awful, like the sound of someone slamming cats against a wall. "Stop it," I laughed, "ya makin' my ears bleed!"

"That's because your hearing isn't as acute as mine. You can't hear the brilliance in the melody," he joked.

"If that's genius, then consider me a dumbass, and proud of it." Both of us laughed.

"Seriously though, I can play the guitar."

"Prove it." My jaw dropped the moment he started playing Greensleeves. "Holy shit! Is there anything you can't do?" I asked when he finished.

"Hm…Grow breasts?"

I cracked up so hard that tears actually came out of my eyes. Every time I thought I was done laughing, I thought about what he said, even imagined it actually happening, and laughed all over again. "I can't stop laughing!" I said in between breaths. "Why do I find that so funny?"

"Beats me." The amusement written on his face told me that he found it funny too. Or was it me, and not the joke, that he was amused by?

My laughter faded as he answered a text message he received from someone. "Who's texting ya? Yer mistress?"

He smiled. "No, It's Gaby. Her escort for the celebration has a prior engagement that night. She's afraid she won't find a replacement on time."

"What about Damien? Can't he go with her?"

"He already has an escort."

I smiled. "A girl escort or a guy?"

"A woman, though the truth is, he'd rather attend it with Michael."

"Oh really!" I exclaimed. "Are they dating?"

He creased his eyebrows. "I don't know what kind of relationship, if it is that, they're having. It's as confusing as Michael's sexual orientation. Regardless, some of the attendees are very…traditional. If he attended the gala with a guy, then there may be unnecessary drama that night. I have enough shit to deal with."

"I hear ya." Remembering my conversation with Ava earlier, I had an idea. "Gaby needs an escort, yeah? So does my friend Jason. Maybe they can go together."

"I don't know about that. Can he dance?"

"What does dancing have to do with it?"

"Traditionally, during the anniversary of the coronation, the royal family and their escorts perform a choreographed routine. The dance style differs every year, and this year's theme is the foxtrot. If Jason becomes Gaby's escort, then he needs to dance as well."

"What's the fox hop?"

"Foxtrot. It's similar to the waltz, but somewhat slower."

"So Jason has to be able to pull that off?"

He nodded. "Not just Jason, if he escorts Gaby, but you have to dance it as well."

My eyes opened more. "Sorry?"

"Everyone thinks we're in love, Natasha, so of course you're my escort for the night. Which means, you have to dance the foxtrot too."

"I've got to do what? No. Hell no. Nobody told me I have to prance around, foxtrottin' in front of a room full of strangers who'd love to literally have me for dinner."

"I'm helping you finish your father's song. You owe me."

I scoffed. "The song better be amazin' then."

"Do you have any dance experience?"

"Ya followed me around before kidnappin' me. Shouldn't ya already know that?" His glare made me grin. "I took jazz when I was little. I stopped after graduatin' high school. I was almost on Broadway too, but the musical didn't make it passed previews. My favorite dance style is the one I used for the job I had about a year ago."

"What style?"

I smirked. "Burlesque." My smirk grew when his eyebrows lifted a little. "My stage name was Amber at an underground burlesque lounge called Le Cirque Érotique. I loved it, but I quit to focus on the band."

Chris didn't blink for a moment, and spoke when he finally did. "You were a burlesque dancer?"

"Uh-huh." I moved closer to him and brushed my hand against his. In a low tone, I told him, "I can put on a private show for ya, if ya want."

He gazed into my eyes for a moment, then shifted his glance downward. When he looked back into my eyes, I noticed his pupils were more dilated. After taking a deep breath, he decided, "Maybe some other time. Let's just finish the song."

I scoffed, but smiled.

Just as Chris said earlier, the two weeks leading up to the coronation gala were busy ones. Between Chris's endless meetings and piano lessons he took (with a male instructor this time), finishing the song together, practicing the choreography for the foxtrot, and practicing the set list for Siren's performance in the ballroom (my friends amazingly made it to and from the manor without an attack from the nocturnal guardians), two weeks came and went faster than a sunrise. In the blink of an eye, it was already the night before the gala.

Want to hear something strange? I had to share a bed with my crush for the benefit of his family. It doesn't make sense, does it? It didn't to me either, until Chris explained it to me. Apparently, his family planned on dropping by the manor the morning of the gala to make sure everything was running smoothly, which meant that we had to pretend we were a real couple of them from the moment they arrived. This is how our conversation went down.

"It started last month," Chris began. We were in the kitchen eating our last meal of the day. For me, it was Irish stew, and for Chris, it was a bottle of type AB negative blood. "When Farrokh wasn't feeling well, I received letters from Emily stating that our parents thought we were in love."

"I remember. I was screamin' on the inside when ya told me. What of it?"

"They still feel that way. If they arrive in the morning and see us sleeping in different rooms—"

"Then they'd know it wasn't true."

"Precisely."

"Why can't we just tell 'em we had a fight?"

"Because they've been looking forward to this for too long for them to see us 'fighting'."

"Heh, that might happen no matter what. Why is it so important that we fake a relationship?"

"Well, let's just say that they're glad I've 'settled down,' especially since they were disappointed in my last lifestyle choice. Plus, because us being in love is a big step in the prophecy's direction, they're thrilled at the prospect of the next of kin being conceived."

"So basically, they hated that ya were a slut and are not only happy that you've been sharin' yer bed with the same woman, but they also can't wait for grandkids."

"Yes, basically. And if they were to come home while we were still asleep, they'd see us together and wouldn't question or disturb us."

Although it wouldn't be the first time we shared a bed, the second time would be different. We'd have to pretend to be dating. It could entail what couples do when they share a bed; gazing into each other's eyes, having intimate conversations, holding one another…who knows where it could lead. The very thought of it made me want to shout the word yes, but I took a deep breath and pretended like it was an inconvenience instead. I couldn't let him know I was excited about it.

"Fine," I told him, "but ya owe me big time."

So that's how we ended up sleeping together. Literally, sleeping. Though I'd love it if those words were an innuendo. Another difference between the first and second time was that when I woke up the next morning, Chris was still in the bed beside me.

I watched him sleep silently, with the only movement coming from him being the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His hand was so close to mine that they nearly touched. Tentatively, I slid my hand closer and closer to his until they could—

"What are you doing?" he said suddenly, startling me.

"Nothin'. Didn't know ya were awake."

"I've been awake for a while," he told me before his eyes opened, "but didn't feel like getting up just yet." He looked away briefly, then glanced back at me. "My family's here."

"Already?" The alarm clock that sat on the nightstand closer to him displayed 9:45AM in a bold, green color. "I thought they'd be here later."

"Normally, yes. Because they're anxious to see you, they came earlier." He looked away again, then looked at me. "They just invited us to have breakfast with them."

"Breakfast? Ya don't exactly eat eggs and bacon ya know."

"Doesn't mean we don't like to dine together."

Groaning, I said, "But I don't want to get up yet. Yer bed is too comfy."

"True, but we should still get up, otherwise we may be tempted to spend all day in bed."

"Ya think we'd be that tired all day that gettin' out of bed would be that hard?"

"Yes, but not from sleeping."

Chris leisurely ran his fingers through my hair. His fingers calmly moved from there to trace my neck. They continued to move until they passed my shoulder.

"What are ya doin?" I whispered.

"We have to behave as a couple, remember? At least until the gala tonight is over," he whispered back.

"But yer family's not in the room."

"They can still read our thoughts or hear our voices."

He used his fingers to brush my curly hair away from my neck to expose it. My skin already grew warmer, but it shot up another few degrees when his lips caressed my neck. Jaysus, it felt so good. I turned my head to the side to give him more access before I moved my hand to the back of his head and pressed it closer to me.

"Chris…" I uttered.

His lips moved to the front of my neck and lingered on a spot. My temperature rose even more. I was certain he could feel my racing heart beats against his lips.

"Chris…wait…" I said a little louder.

His free hand moved to my belly; he applied a bit of pressure to it as it slid under my shirt and up my stomach. I moaned, but then pushed him away a little before it could go too far.

"Chris," I said in a normal tone this time. "If we're goin' to do this, then I have a rule."

"A rule?"

"Yeah, just one: No kissing on the mouth."

"What?"

I gave him a wan smile. "Ever seen the movie Pretty Woman?"

With furrowed eyebrows, he didn't say a word until he sighed. "I understand. You agree with the character Vivian's theory of intimacy. You think that kissing is a tender and intimate act that can be misinterpreted as a gesture of love, and not sex."

"Exactly. And since I confused the pogue ya gave me a few weeks ago for a real kiss, I don't want ya to kiss me unless ya really mean it, and not just because of our fake relationship."

"Very well." For a split second, he glanced at my neck and smiled a little. "I'm going to go shower," he told me before leaving the room.

The look on his face before was strange, as if he knew something I didn't. I got out of bed and looked in a mirror to fix my tousled hair, but paused when I saw something on my neck. On a spot a few centimeters above my clavicle, I saw a deep pink bruise that was as large as a quarter. My jaw dropped as I let out a gasp. Then I marched to the bathroom in a fury and burst through the door.

"Chris—OH MY GOD!" I shouted and immediately turned away with a loud gasp. The steam filling his all-glass shower wasn't enough to mask every part of his body. Fuck! I thought with intensity.

"You should have knocked," he said in between his laughter.

"Right." It took a lot of self-control for me not to turn around and stare, despite the vivid image of his wet, muscular body remaining at the top of my mind.

"What do you want?"

"To yell at ya. Why the fuck did ya give me a hickey?"

"Oh that. I figured it would show everyone how 'close' we really are."

"If it was just to show everyone that's in the manor right now, then I get it. But the bloody celebration is tonight. This isn't the kind of 'accessory' I wanted to don on my neck with the custom gown I'm wearin' tonight. It makes me look tacky!"

I heard the sound of the shower knobs turning and the glass door opening before he said, "No, it makes you look taken."

"Taken, really? Ya might as well have peed on me!"

"Hickeys are sexier." The sound of his footsteps across the tile floor moved closer before he stood a few centimeters in front of me. "Care for anther?" he asked in a husky, seductive tone, with a lustful look in his eyes promising me more intimacy than just a hickey.

I swallowed hard while staring at him. Though he dried off before he approached me, there were still a few water drops beading down his chest. Only a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body kept him from being completely naked.

"Maybe I should give one to ya instead," I suggested in an equally seductive tone.

He smirked. "I won't say no to that…but I should get dressed first."

When he left the room, I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Then I locked the door and started to strip. It was my turn to shower, and I was making it a cold one.

Teeth brushed and finally showered, I headed back to Chris's room and saw that he was still there, brushing his hair in front of the mirror above the contemporary dresser. Clad in a long towel, I started to walk over to my pile of clothes in the closet that I brought over last night, but I stopped when I caught Chris staring at me through my peripherals. As soon as I glanced his way, he turned back to face the mirror. I smirked.

"Like what ya see?" I asked teasingly.

"Absolutely," he responded without looking at me.

My smirk changed to a grin as I walked into the large closet. "By the way," I said loud enough for Chris to hear me, "Ya don't have to wait for me to finish getting ready." I slipped on my underwear beneath my towel and added, "It's goin' to take me a while to style my hair."

"I'd rather not go to the dining room without you, so I'll wait until you're finished. Just don't take your sweet time."

About an hour later, I emerged from the closet fully dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, a white tank top, and a light blue button down with the long sleeves rolled up half way. I left the button down open and tucked the front of it into my jeans. My grey stiletto booties barely made a sound across the carpet as I walked towards the mirror above the dresser.

"Is that my blue shirt?" he asked.

"Yep," I said while touching up my lip gloss.

"Do you plan on confiscating all my shirts?"

"Yep." I smiled when I saw him shake his head through his reflection. "Are ya wearin' any cologne?"

"No, why?"

With one hand, I opened one of the top drawers and used my other hand to take out a blue bottle of cologne. Then with my fingertips, I dabbed a little on my neck, where makeup covered hickey was.

"What are you doing?"

"Ya gave me a hickey, so it makes it look like we took so long to get to breakfast because we were shiftin'. If that's the case, I need to smell a little like ya." I turned to face him and held up the bottle. "It's yer turn." He came up and reached for the bottle but I withheld it from him. "I want to put the cologne on ya."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I just do. Besides, guys always just spray it on. That won't make it last long. Ya gotta dab it on the four major areas."

"Very well, enlighten me."

"All right." With a little more cologne on my fingertips, I reached behind his ears. "This is spot number one," I said lowly, taking my time to rub the cologne on it. He blinked slower than usual, making me smirk.

"The second…" I said before unbuttoning his black Henley shirt. I also added more cologne to my fingertips. "The second spot is on the neck." Gingerly, I rubbed cologne onto it. I also moved my head close enough to him for my breath to blow across the spots with cologne. His eyes closed and his shoulders dropped.

"The third is the wrists." I rubbed cologne on one, then the other. My fingers slowly brushed across the palm of his second hand before he took a deep breath.

"The last spot is one people tend to neglect. Just don't freak out by what I'm about to do." His eyes opened as soon as I unbuckled his belt. I smiled. "It's not what ya think." My hands lifted his shirt, then pulled down his dark washed jeans enough to uncover his hips. I took the last bit of cologne I needed and brushed my fingers across the exposed flesh. His eyes closed once more, while mine couldn't stop staring where my hands were. Slowly, I moved my hands towards the front and brushed my fingers across the smooth skin of his well-defined pelvis. I couldn't help but lick my lips; his pelvis was incredibly sexy.

"Like what you see?" he asked.

It wasn't until I looked up at his face that I saw he was smirking at me with his eyes open. My lips parted, but then I smirked back. "Absolutely."

I put his clothes back to the way they were. After I buttoned up two out of the four buttons of his shirt, my hands rested on his chest and didn't want to move. Being this close to him felt incredible. Not just incredible; it felt right. Except for when I'm flirting with him, I try to keep how I feel about him from showing on my face. This time, I looked into his eyes and let every emotion show through them.

"Chris," I said in a serious tone, "I need to know how ya really feel about me. We've been flirtin' with each other for a while. I know it's not just a game; it's comin' from some place real. Let me be straight with ya: I really like ya. I like ya so damn much that I can't feckin' focus on anythin' else when you're around." I smiled when he chuckled. "Chris, I want ya so bad, in more ways than one. Ya feel the same way about me too, I know it. I just need to hear ya say it. How do ya feel about me?"

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Mo chroi: Gaelic for “my darling,” or “my heart.” A term of endearment.
Aintín: Gaelic for “aunt.”
Flogging Molly: A Celtic punk band.
Le Cirque Érotique: French for “The Erotic Circus.”
Pogue: Gaelic for “kiss.”
Shifting: Slang for “making out.”